CUA Cover Winter 2005 final (Page 2) - Columbus School of Law

Reinterpreting History with Fresh MeaningOctober — America was ordained by God to fulfill a special role in the world. So thoughtOrestes Brownson (1803–1876), a New England intellectual and activist, and perhapsthe best known American Catholic of the 19 th century. Famous in his day, Brownsonwas a restless seeker of religious thought, subscribing to different faiths throughout his lifebut ultimately winding up a Roman Catholic. He is best remembered today for his 1865book The American Republic. In it, Brownson argued that America was more than itspeople, culture and language. He believed it was a moral entity which existed to serve alarger divine purpose. Brownson’s ideas were revisited in a lecture at the Columbus Schoolof Law by Roberto de Mattei, a professor of modern history at the University of Cassino, Italy. “Orestes Brownson’s TheAmerican Republic: A European Point of View,” was delivered at the invitation of the law school’s Center for Law, Philosophyand Culture.Calling for Justice for AllOctober — Among the poor, there is one lawyer for every 7,000 people.Faced with that startling statistic, how can American law schoolsproduce graduates who understand that a vital part of a career in lawis service to others? That was the central theme of “The Role of LawSchools in Fostering Commitment to Pro Bono Publico,” a two-dayconference that was sponsored and organized by the ColumbusSchool of Law. With strong support from the dean’s office and assistancefrom fellow faculty members, the CUA symposium was conceivedand organized by Professor Sandy Ogilvy, director of Law andSocial Justice Initiatives. Thirty-six panelists from two dozen lawschools addressed such topics as “Setting up a Pro Bono Programfrom Scratch” and “A National Perspective on Shaping FutureLeaders for Justice.” Among the approximately 120 pro bonoexperts from across the country in attendance were those from lawschools, legal clinics and members of the bench and bar.Hoping for a Better Outcome This TimeOctober — The only realistic hope for an end to the ongoing genocide in the Darfur regionof western Sudan are politically inclusive peace talks, said Andrew S. Natsios, U.S. SpecialEnvoy to Sudan. Invited to speak by the Military and National Security Law StudentsAssociation, the diplomat’s address was the first in the organization’s new national securitylaw speaker series. In his 40-minute address, Natsios called for the voices of ordinarypeople in Darfur, including tribal leaders, Arab groups, women and others, to be includedin talks that began in Libya in late October. Darfur has suffered from more than 20 yearsof nearly unbroken violence fueled by religious and ethnic differences. The fighting haskilled hundreds of thousands and driven two million refugees from their homes. Natsioscalled upon the international community to maintain the pressure to move the talks in apositive direction. “Peace is its own dividend,” he concluded.Fall-Winter 2007 / C UALAWYER 29